Life & Times in Cancun with the Sober Señorita Kelly Fitzgerald

In today’s installment I talk with Kelly Fitzgerald who shares on how to live sober and still be the life of the party in Mexico. Kelly is a social media manager and a contributor to the Huffington Post Blog. One of her biggest accomplishments and most admirable work is her blog The Sober Seńorita. Kelly wants everyone to know you can lead a fun and adventuresome life while being sober.

Kelly grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and graduated college in 2007. She always wanted to party and was known as the “social butterfly”. She learned of her love for Cancun, when she worked for a spring break company two seasons in a row. They would pay for her flight, meals, room and board. In the last year, Kelly realized she wanted to live in Cancun. She became cognizant of the fact that she was partying too much in the spring of 2013, and has been sober since May 2013. She started her blog in January 2014. Kelly wanted to incorporate her decision to become sober and her new way of life that she was now living. Her sister came up with the name of the blog. Kelly waited a whole year before she wrote anything about being sober on her blog. Kelly wrote a very inspiring blog in May 2014. It was so awe-inspiring that she got an email from the Huffington Post; they wanted to re-publish her blog in the paper.

What are some of the challenges that you have experienced or hear other people experiencing when you are inundated with the party style of Mexico?

She noticed right way that it was hard; everything revolved around drinking. Cancun is a tourist destination and so people on vacation want to let loose. Society in general revolves around drinking. Because of the partying, Kelly never realized all the beautiful things that Mexico had to offer such as history, culture, and food. Kelly did more in the one year sober – she traveled to more places and saw more Mayan archeological sites – than she had in the previous 4 years.

Do you have some favorite areas where you would suggest going to capture the true essence of Mexico?

The Chichen Itza is just breath taking. Tulum is another place; the cliff overlooking the ocean, where the Mayan archeological site is, seems just like a dream. You need to check out the local restaurants in downtown Cancun. Don’t be afraid to explore out of the hotel zone. Some of the best tacos and tortas are in downtown Cancun. There are so much more to Mexican food than the US Mexican chains. There is elote, mole, tostadas…food helps define what a country and its culture has to offer. Coachinita and Agua de Jamaica are both wonderful. If you are coming from the US, you will probably never hear of these delicacies. The beautiful Xel-Ha Park, which is an all-inclusive water eco park. Go beyond Cancun and explore.

Tulum is a great place to go. Kelly loves the hippy beach town vibe where everyone rides bikes there. It has beautiful palapas and hotels that turn their electricity off at 11pm to save energy. She says it is a great place to visit; however, being technology based, she wouldn’t be able to live there. You need to take a few days and visit the Ruins of Palenque in Chiapas is absolutely magic.

How can someone keep their strength to stay sober?

The good thing about all-inclusive is they will make you “mocktails”, you still feel like you are included. You can get fresh coconut water right out of the coconut. Always ask what they have to offer, which is very important. Look for English speaking AA meetings in Cancun. There is one every morning at 8am in downtown Cancun and there is even a website http://aaenglishmeetingcancun.com.

How to manage spring break and not drink yourself silly.

You have to be careful, because at spring break you can find umpteen parties. Limit yourself or drink in moderation, and just know you don’t have to go all out on your first day. Alternate those drinking days with a relaxing day on the beach. If you need a drink in your hand to be part of the crowd, there are other options; you don’t have to go to that alcoholic drink.